Process of reducing vanadium from sulfid ores.



NITE sir-urns Parana onnrcn.

FREDERICK 1L BECKET,"OF NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO ELECTRO METALLI'RGICAL COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

PROCESS OF REDUCING VANADIUM FROM SULFID ORES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 14, 1908.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it kn own that I, FREDERICK M. BEcKET,

a subject of the King of Great Britain, residingat Niagara Falls, in the county of Niagara and State of New York, have in vented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Reducing Vanadium from Sulfid Ores, of which the following is a specification.

In the production of vanadium or vanes dium alloys from sulfid ores, it is customary to first roast the sulfids to oxids and to then subject the roasted product-or a concentrate therefrom to the action of a reducing agent.

According to the present process, vanadium sulfid ores are directly reduced in an elec- 'hen calcium carbid is the reducing agent the reaction 1s as follows 1 It is not necessary to adhere strictly to the molecular proportions indicated by the above equations,because the reaction takes place to a limited extent, and various intermediate and subsidiary reactions may take place.

The materials constituting the charge are mixed and are then brought to such a temperature in an electric furnace as to not only cause the reaction to take place but to thoroughly fuse the product and allow of its complete separation from the slag, which consists largely of an alkali or alkaline-earth metal sulfid. An electric furnace. having superposed tapholes'for the separate removal of metal and slag is preferably employed. The carbon bisulfid liberated from thefurnace may be collected as such or utilized as sulfur dioxid after oxidation by air.

In the production of alloys of vanadium with iron, nickel or other metal, the alloying metal may be directly added to the charge or may be reduced from its compound added to the charge," simultaneously with the reduction of the vanadium.

By this process vanadium or vanadium alloys containing a very low percentage of carbon and merely a trace of sulfur may be pro duced from sulfid ores in a single operation by the use of very cheap raw materials as reducing agents. Y

The mixture containing an alkali or alkaline-earth metal and carbon specified in cer tain claims is to be understood as one in which the metal may be present either as an oxid, carbonate or other salt, or as a carbid, the carbon being either free or combined as carbid.

I claim:

1. The process of reducing vanadium, which consists in smelting a mixture of vanadium sulfid and a desulfurizing and reducing agent, as set forth.

2. The process of reducing vanadium, which consists in smelting a mixture containing vanadium sulfid and a plurality of reducing elements capable of uniting with sulfur, as set forth.

The process of reducing vanadium,

'which consists in smelting a mixture containing vanadium sulfid, an alkali or alkaline-earth metal and carbon, as set forth.

4. The process of reducing vanadium, which consists in smelting a mixture. containing vanadium sulfid, an alkali or alkalillQ-Cflftll-dllfitfll compound and carbon, as setforth.

5. The process of reducing vanadium,

which consists in smelting a mixture of vanadium sulfid; an oxygen compound of a metal having a relatively high affinity for sulfur, and carbon, as set forth.

6. The process of reducing vanadium, which consists in smelting a mixture of vanadium sulfid, a calcium compound and carbon,

as set forth.

7. The process of reducing vanadium,

lo'ys, which consists in smelting; a mixture containing vanadium sulfid, a plurality'of reducing elements ca able .of uniting with sulfur, and a source 0 the alloying metal, as set forth.

10. The rocess of producing vanadium alloys, whic consists in smelting a'mixture containing vanadium sulfid, an alkali or al kaline-earth-metal, carbon and a source of the alloying metal, as set forth.

11. The roce'ss of producing vanadium alloys, which consists in smelting a mixture of vanadium sulfid, an oxygen compound of I alloys, Whic a metal having a relatively high affinity for sulfur, carbon and a source of the alloying metal, as set forth.

12. The recess of producing vanadium consists in smelting a'mixture of vanadium sulfid, calcium .oxid, carbon and a source of the alloying metal, as set forth.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK M. BECKET.

Witnesses: r

C. (5. MosHER, J. N. DEINHARDT. 

